Sakkara (sometimes spelled Saqqara) is one of the richest archaeological sites in Egypt. To get there we drove through the modern town of Sakkara which reminded me of an upscale version of some of the areas of Kabul.
The step pyramid of Djoser is the centerpiece of the Sakkara necropolis. This step pyramid is the prototype for the pyramids of Giza. The structure was built for 3rd dynasty King Djoser by his architect, the high priest Imhotep in the 27th century BC. It marks an unprecedented leap forward in the history of world architecture. Until then, Egyptian royal tombs had been underground rooms covered with low, flat, mud brick Mastahas. The great innovator Imhotep chose to use stone rather than mud brick, and to build not just one mastaha but six, one on top of the other, with each additional layer smaller than the one beneath. The vast enclosure surrounding the step pyramid marked yet another major achievement, as it provided the template for subsequent Egyptian art and architecture.
Bounded by a finely cut limestone wall originally 10.5 m high, this complex included vast open courts, pavilions, shrines and chapels. A part of the ancient wall, complete with bastions and recesses, has been restored in the south-east corner and this provides the entrance to the enclosure. A colonnaded corridor of 40 pillars, ribbed in imitation of palm stems, leads into the Great South Court (see Left).
